Thread control for weft replenishing mechanism



C. DARWIN THREAD CONTROL FOR WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM Filed June 17, 1944 CLIFFORD DARWIN m 01% ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 16, 1945 THREAD CONTR REPLENISHIN Clifford Darwin, Grompton &--

0L FOR G MECHANISM Worcesten, Mass... 7 Knowles Loom Works, Worcester,

assignor to Mass, a. corporation of Massachusetts. Application-June 17, 1944, Serial No. 540;7-64

' 8 Claims.- (.01. 139-247),

This inventionrelates to'improvements in weft replenishing mechanisms for looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide improved thread control means for the weft endswhich extend from the bobbins in the magazine to the thread holder.

Certain types of bobbin magazines employ a thread guide around which extend the weft ends leading from. the bobbins to the thread holder, These guides: extend downwardly along the corresponding stacks of bobbins'and then curve inwardly toward a point under the magazine. As each bobbin descends in its stack the weft endthereof follows along the associated thread guide, but when the bobbin ultimately reaches transfer position at the bottom of the stack its weft end islikelyto slip off the thread guide to a position under the bobbin and be broken by the bobbin at the time oftransfer. In the-past it has-been customary to provide the guides with hooks or the like for the. purpose of preventing the weft ends from .sliding to an improper position.

When. the magazine is made to accommodate two stacks of bobbins and the thread guides are on the outside of the magazine, the weft ends willilea'd: from the top of the bobbins in one stack towardthe. thread holder, but'will lead from thebottom of the bobbins bobbins are all of the to the fact that the in the other stack if the weft ends lead outwardly from their bobbins away from the center of the magazine. The weft ends which lead from the bottoms of their bobbins. are difficult to control,

sincethey are relatively low in the magazine and easily slip out of the; hook which has heretofore.

been providedfor them. Inorder to prevent this:

slipping it has been customary inflthe. past to provide the magazine with bobbins of opposite winds, the bobbins of one stack being wound regular, or right hand, while'those of the other stack have the reverse or opposite hand wind.

When so wound and properly placedwithrespect to the stacks the bobbins have their weft: ends always extending from toward the hook. The bobbins of two different winds, however, increases the cost of weaving and causes annoyance and considerable attention when the bobbins. are being placed in the magazine.

It is animportant object of my present. inventionrtoprovide. means which will eliminate the previously used hooks and in their place provide yielding supports for the threads to hold the latter out of the paths of their bobbins during'transfer and at thesame time permit the use same wind. This is due the upper ends: thereof necessity for providing path ofthe descending in the magazine,

of bobbins having the samekind of wind for b'othbobbin stacks: This result I- accomplish as set forth hereinafter bya small set of bristles which project closetothe thread guide inthe weft ends atone side of the bobbin in transfer position. These bristles preferably extend beyond the path normally traversed by the threads and therefore arrest their downward movement while the bobbins are. but at the time of. transfer the bristles yield to permit-the wett ends-to move downwardly with their bobbins.

It is. a more. detailed object of my present invention to providea bristle unit. which. can con-- veniently be applied to. a magazine insuch positionas. to hold theweft ends in proper positionfor transfer.

With these andother objects in View which will vappear:v as. the: descriptionxproceeds, my in.-

I of Fig. 3, but showing the mention resirlesin the: combination and arrange-- ment ofparts hereinafterrdescribed andset. forth.v

In. the accompanying drawing, wherein. two; forms; of: my invention: are set forth,

Fig. 1 is an. end elevation: of. a weft. replenishing mechanism: having; the preferred formof my inrention'. applied. thereto,

Fig. 2 is afront; elevation looking in the direc:-- tion. of arrow 2', Fig. 1,.

Big 3] isa. detail: horizontal: section. on-Jin-e 3-3 of: Rig-2.1. showingabobbin for: each. stack full.

and: also dot anddash lines,

Fig. 4: is an; enlarged verticai section. on line: 4:4 of Fig. 3,,

Fig.6: is a. view. similar. to the right. hand part bobbin in. transfer position,. andtherelation of. 'its' weft end to the thread gnide invention, bobbin; having: regular: orrig-ht hand. woundiweft thereon,

Fig. 6..i's:a. View to Fig. 5 but showing. the bobbin; with; reverse 'ortlezfthand woimct weft,

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic viewof. the. bobbins. in. transfer positionJin. the magazine. in which both bobbins: are regular wound corresponding toEig. 5,v

rigs is:.a view simiiar to Fig. '1, but in which,

the bobbins; are reverserwound, and

Fig'.. 9 isauview similar to. 4*- but showing'a modified form:ofcthe:invention- 7 Referring: particularly to. Figs. I and 2; I have indicated: parts of a magazine which has gone into general-use for the weaving of fine yarns such as may require two difleren-ttypes of weft. In these figures I have shown 'onlythe outsidepart of the magazin the inner part which guides the bobbin butts being omitted for the indicated in Fig. 1 and sake of clearness. Fig. 1 shows a stationary bracket l having a pivot ll about which the magazine rocks as a center. The outside or bobbin tip end plate I2 is supported by two tie rods l3 and 14 in front of and behind the center of the magazine, respectively. These tie rods extend from the inner or bobbin butt plate not shown and are the means for supporting'the end plate l2. 7

The end plate includes front and back bobbin tip guiding grooves or guideways l and I6, re-

spectively, which extend downwardly and then curve inwardly toward each other as indicated in Fig. l. Bobbin tip yielding supports 11 are cooperate with lugs hi on the end plate for supporting the lowest bobbin in each stack in transfer position.

The lay l9 has a shuttle box to receive shuttle S carrying a bobbin 2!. The lay is shown in front center position which it normally occupies when a transfer is to occur, and as set forth in Fig. l the lowest bobbin of the front stack is in transfer position I over the shuttle. When a transfer is to take place from the rear stack the magazine will be rocked so that the lowest bobbin in position 11 in the back stack will be over the shuttle. v

Eachof the slots or guideways l5 and I6 is provided with a thread guide which in the present instance takes the form of a wire. These wires and 26 are arranged more or less parallel to the front andback bobbin tip guideways l5 and I6, respectively, and each wire is attached at its upper end as at 21 to a part of the plate l2. The wires are spaced inwardly from the plate l2, or away from the bobbin .tips toward the longitudinal center of the magazine which is to the left in Fig. 2, and extend downwardly and are then bent toward each other as indicated in Fig. 1, the lower end of each wire being bent as at 28-substantially parallel to the bobbins and extending horizontally into the corresponding lug 13. Thus, the lug l8 of the front stack supports the lower end of wire 25, while the lug for the rear stack supports the lower end of wire 26. Heretofore, it has been customary to provide a hook in the lower part of each of the guide wires adjacent to their points of attachment to the magazine end plate, but these hooks are omitted in the present instance. The bottom of the plate l2 maybe solid and extend across from guideway l5 toguideway l6, as already proposed by me, and the endplate l2 lies between the bobbins in the magazine and a thread holder H, see Fig. 2.

Thematter thus far described is of common construction except for the omission of the hooks in the wire .25 and 26 and may be made in the usual manner as set forth for instance in Patent No. 2,262,309 and .my .copending application Serial No. 534,436.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide a yielding. thread support near the bottom of each of the stacks of bobbins. These yielding supports are shown at 30 and 31 for the front andback stacks, respectively,'and are both made as setforth more particularly inFig. 4. Each thread support is made as a unit comprising a set of bristles 32 which are carried by a small plug 33 inserted into a is threaded into a lug l8. The bristles of each unit extend over and close to the corresponding guide wire in the preferred; form of the invention as indicated; in Fig. 4, and each set of bristles is; located at one side screw 34 which,

of the lowest bobbin in the corresponding stack. As indicated in Fig. l, for instance, the thread support unit 30 is in front of the bobbin in position I, while the rear unit 3| is behind the bobbin in position II. It will also be apparent from the drawings that each guide wire extends either forwardly or rearwardly from its corresponding group of-bristles toward the corresponding bobbin in transfer position so that the straight parts 28 of the lower ends of the guide wires are nearer together than are the thread support units 30 and 3|. The bristle units are therefore in position to hold the weft ends of bobbins in transfer position against their thread guides above the bottoms of the latter.

As indicated in Fig. 4 the bristles extend from the end plate l2 inwardly toward the center of the magazine and transversely of the thread guide to a point beyond the latter. The bristles extend across the paths of the descending weft ends and are ordinarily strong enough to withstand a moderate amount of tension on the weft ends, as at E, Fig. 2, extending from the bobbins in the magazine, but are flexible enough to yield when the weft ends move downwardly with their bobbins during transfer. e I

As shown for instance in Fig. 3 the bobbins B of the front stack have their weft ends E extending forwardly and around the guide wire 25 and then to a thread holder designated generally at H, see Fig. 2. Similarly, the bobbins B of the rear stack have their ends E extending rearwardly and around the back guide wire 26 and thence to the thread holder. As the ends E move downwardly with their bobbins in the front stack they will be held against guide wire 25 by thethread holder and will eventually engage the bristles of the front unit .30 and will be held back by the latter astheir bobbins move toward transfer position I. In similar manner the weft ends E. will be drawn taut to engage guide wire 26 and will be held back by the bristles of the unit 3| when the bobbins of the rear stack move toward transfer position II.

In Fig. 5 it will be seen that the weft end E of one of the bobbins B in transfer position II When the bobbin B is transferred, however, weft end E moves downwardly and at'the same time the-bristles which have previously supported it yieldvto allowit to slip over them and out of contact with the wire 26. The same general operation also occurs when the front bobbin B in position I is transferred, except that its weft end E leads from thetip of the bobbin to the unit 3|! as will be apparent from Fig. 3. Figs..5 to 8 show two different kinds of wind for the bobbin, regular and reverse. These terms are used herein in the same manner in which they are understood in the weaving industry, that is, a regular wound bobbin is one in which the. weft unwinds in a clockwise direction as viewed from the tip end of the bobbin, while a reverse woundv bobbin is one in which the weft Fig. 7', for instance, both the bon assai ed bins of which are wound: righthand so: that the unwindsxin' the direction of: arrows a; the E: extends from a point of tangency at top of. bobbin B" overthe: thread unit 3!) and then to.- the wire 25; whiiethe bobbin B at the left of Fig. 7 has its weft end E extending. upwardiy from. a. point. of tangency on the under siderthereof and over the-thread unit. 3 I and then around wire 26'. It is the condition set forth-in Fig. 7 with respect to weft end E of bobbin B which shows the particular utility of my invention. It willbe apparent from that figure that since: the weft end E leads from the bot.-

tom of the bobbin B it could very easily slip off the bottom of theguidewire 2i; unless: some provisionv were made, such as unit 3|, to hold it elevated. Asalreadymentioned the hooks heretofore used for this purpose have not always been successful: for the weft ends which extend from the under sides of their bobbins. In the present instance, however, the bristles of the unit 3| hold the weft end in proper position so that it will be led around the lower part of thread-guide wire 26 for the bobbin in transfer position.

The bobbins shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 7 are regular wound, but in Fig. 8 there are set forth the conditions which. exist when the reverse or left hand wound bobbins which unwind in the direction of arrows b, Fig. 8, are used. The reverse wound bobbin B2 at the left of Fig. 8 has its weft end E2 extending upwardly from the under side thereof over the thread unit 30 and then around the wire 25, av condition similar to that of bobbin B in Fig. 7. Bobbin B3 at the right of Fig. 8, also reverse wound, has its weft end E3 extending from the to thereof over the unit 3! and then around wire 26 toward the thread holder. This condition corresponds to that of bobbinB, Fig. 7. Fig. -6 shows the conditions existing for a reverse wound bobbin in the rear stack corresponding to the bobbin B3 at the right of. Fig. 8.

It will thus be apparent that the flexible thread supporting units 30 and 3! serve to support their corresponding weft ends whether the bobbins be regular or reverse wound, and that it makes no difference whether a weft end leads from the top or the bottom of a bobbin in transfer position. It is therefore possible to use either regular or reverse wound bobbins in both stacks, or bobbins of one wind in one stack and bobbins of the opposite wind in the other stack- The preparation of the bobbins for weaving. is therefore considerably simplified, since they can be wound and placed in the magazine without regard. to which stack they are to occupy.

Fig. 9 shows a modification of the invention which in actual practice has operated satisfactorily. In this modification the bristles extend under their corresponding wires as indicated at 40 in full lines, but if desired they can be placed as indicated in dotted lines over the wire. Because ofthe flexibility of the bristles they can be placed either over or under their guide wires without removing the screw 34. While the invention operates satisfactorily when the bristles are under the wire, I prefer to have them over the wire as set forth for instance in Fig. 4, where they are located between the corresponding thread guide and bobbin tip guideway.

The proportions of the various parts are shown in Fig. 4 approximately as I have used them in actual practice, although I do not wish to be limited to the amount shown by which the bristles extend beyond the guide wires toward the center of; the magazine; it is" sufficient if the bristles proie'ctacross. the path of the descendingrweft. ends astheir bobbins move: downwardly toward. transfer position. It: will .be understood from Figs.:2: and 3 that therweft endswillxbe held taut and will therefore be against their guide wires 25 and: 26: throughout the descent. of the bobbins in the magazine duestothe action of the thread holder H. The lattermay, if desired, opcrate pneumatically asset-forth in prior Patents Nos. 1,703,898 and 2,199,353 to give. assurance that the weft ends will always bein contact with their guide wires and therefore: move downwardly along paths: which are traversed .by the bristlesv of theunits 30 and 31:.

From the foregoing it will be seen that-I have provided simple means for controlling the-weft ends of bobbins in transfer position in bobbin magazines for weft replenishing looms. The bristles extend across the paths of the weft ends as the latter descend. and therefore temporarily support them while their bobbins. are in the magazine. At the time of transfer, however, when the bobbin is moving from the magazine intothe-shuttle S; the bristles will be deflected or bent sufiiciently to allow the weft end to follow their bobbins downwardly. Furthermore, the operation of the bristles is: such that either regular or reverse wound bobbins can be used in both. the front and back stacks of the magazine. It will also be seen from Fig. 9- that the invention. will operate when the bristles extend under the thread guide wires. The screw 34 andthe plug 33 which carries the bristles 32 constitute a convenient unit which can readily be applied to the magazine plate l2. Furthermore, the units 30 and 3| are located at the sides of the corresponding bobbins in transfer position, and project inwardly in a direction away from the thread holder.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing. from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

l. Ina weft replenishing loom having a thread holder for a magazine provided with a stack of bobbins-from which weft ends extend, a bobbin tip end: plate forming part of the magazine and locatedbetween the bobbins and the thread holder and having a guideway for the bobbin tips down which the latter move toward transfer position, a. thread guide extending along the guideway andaround which the weft ends extend from the bob.- binsto the thread holder, the weft-ends descending along the thread'guide as their bobbins move down the guideway toward transfer position; and

flexible weft end supporting means extending a thread guide supported by and extendin inwardly from the end plate and around which the weft ends extend from the bobbins to the thread holder, said thread guide extending along the guideway and the weft ends sliding down said thread guide as their bobbins; move along the guideway toward transfer position, and flexible weft supporting means extending from the end plate across the path of the weft ends as the latter descend and in position to hold'the weft end of a bobbin in transfer position in engagement with the thread guide.

3. In a weft replenishing loom having a thread holder and a magazine provided with a stack of bobbins from which weft ends extend, a bobbin tip end plate forming part of the magazine and located between the bobbins and the thread holder and havin a guideway for the bobbin tips down which the latter move toward transfer position, a thread guiding wire secured to and extending inwardly from the end plate and extending along said guideway, the lower end of said wire terminating at a point spaced laterally from the lowest bobbin in the guideway, and the weft ends extending from the bobbins around the guide wire to the thread holder and moving downwardly in contact with the guide wire as their bobbins move toward transfer position, and flexible weft end supporting means supported by the end plate and extending therefrom inwardly in the direction of the length of the bobbins in the magazine and in a position to be engaged by the weft ends as the latter descend, said weft end supporting means holding the weft end of the lowest bobbin in the magazine against the thread guide wire at a point located laterally with respect to said lowest bobbin.

4. In a weft replenishing loom having a thread holder and a magazine provided with a stack of bobbins from which weft ends extend, a bobbin tip end plate forming part of the magazine and located between the bobbins and the thread holder and having a guideway for the bobbin tips down which the latter move toward transfer posi tion, the thread guide extending along the guideway and projecting inwardly from the end plate and having the lower end thereof spaced laterally from the bottom bobbin in the guideway, the weft ends extending from the bobbins around said thread guide and then to thethread holder and said weft ends descending along said thread guide as their bobbins move toward transfer position, and fiexibleweft end supporting means supported by and projecting inwardly'from said end plate between the thread guide and the guideway in position to engage the weft end of the bottom bobbin in the guideway and hold the last named weft end in engagement with thethread guide at a point above the lower end of said thread guide.

' 5. In a weft replenishing loom having a thread holder and a magazine provided with a stack of bobbins from which weft ends extend, a bobbin tip end plate forming part of the magazine and located between the bobbins and the thread holder and having a guideway for the bobbin tips down which the latter move toward transfer position, a thread guide extending along the guideway and projecting laterally from the end plate on the side thereof opposite the thread holder, the weft ends extending from the bobbins around the thread guide to the thread holder and descending along said thread guide as their bobbins move downwardly in the guideway toward transfer position, and a set of bristles carried by the end plate projecting transversely of the thread guide and in position to be engaged by the weft ends as their bobbins move toward transfer position, said bristles holding the weft end of the bobbin in transfer position in engagement with the thread guide.

6. In a' weft replenishing loomhaving a threa holder and a magazine provided with a stack of bobbins from which weft ends extend, a bobbin tip end plate forming part of the magazine and located between the bobbins and the thread holder and having a guideway for the bobbin tips down which the latter move toward transfer position, a thread guide extending along the guideway and projecting from the end plate in a direction away from the thread holder, said weft ends extending from the bobbins in the magazine around the thread guide to the thread holder and descending along the thread guide as their bobbins move toward transfer position, and a set of bristles carried by the end plate and projecting therefrom away from the thread holder and between the thread guide and the guideway and located in such position as to hold the weft end of the bobbin in transfer position in engagement with the thread guide. 1

7. In a weft replenishing loom having a thread holder and a magazine provided with a stack of bobbins from which weft ends extend, a bobbin tip end plate forming part of the magazine and located between the bobbins and the thread holder and having a guideway for the bobbin tips down which the latter move toward transfer position, a thread guide extending along the guideway and projecting inwardly of the magazine in a direction away from the thread holder, the weft ends extending from the bobbins around the thread guide to the thread holder and descending along the thread guide as their bobbins move to ward transfer position, and flexible weft endsupporting means extendin between the thread guide and'the guideway and laterally of the thread guide, said weft end supporting means being so located that the weft end of the bobbin in transfer position extends over said support means and,

then around the thread guide to the thread holder.

8. In a weft replenishing loom having a thread holder and a magazine provided with a stack of bobbins from which weft ends extend, a bobbin tip end plate forming part of the magazine and located between the bobbins and the thread holder and having a guideway for the bobbin tips down which the latter 'move toward transfer position, a thread guide extending along the guideway and projecting from the end plate in a direction away from the thread holder, said weft ends extending from the bobbins aroundthe thread guide to the thread holder and descending along the thread guide as their bobbins move toward transfer position, and a set of bristles carried by the end plate and projecting therefrom away from the thread holder, the bristles and thread guide being so related that the weft end of the bobbin,

in transfer position passes over said bristles and thread guide and then extends toward the thread holder with the weft end in engagement with the thread guide.

CLIFFORD DARWIN. 

